falling's not the problem, when i'm falling in peace
by Royal Dee
Summary: (FORMERLY titled Waning Moon. CH 6 up! Sorry about the hiccups in updating. ) Kanata had already learned not to expect. Five years of Miyu's absence — how could this year be any different? "Hey, long time no see, Kanata." — Actually, it was wildly different. AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: **Kanata had already learned not to expect. Five years of Miyu's absence — how could this year be any different? _"Hey, long time no see, Kanata." — _Actually, it was wildly different.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Daa! Daa! Daa! Nor any anime/manga for that matter. And I don't profit off my fanfiction works. That's kinda sad.

**Waning Moon**

.

It was Christmas once again, not that they particularly celebrate for that reason — his old man was a Buddhist priest after all. (Maybe someday even he would become one too, but he still wasn't sure what to do with his life at this point.) Of course, it also happened to be his birthday, but since six years ago, the date had become a lot more significant for him.

Kanata sighed. If only a certain _someone_ would miraculously decide to show up this year, then this annual tradition of theirs would become even _dearer_ to him, he thought bitterly. Ah, but that was more of a wishful thinking really; he didn't expect that of her anymore — at least, he constantly told himself not to.

The brunet was still deeply buried in his thoughts when he realized that he had already arrived at the train station. The slight buzz of the countless activities within the station momentarily jolted him out of his reverie. Today, the place was bustling with people leaving or coming home for the holidays. He spied a man and a woman lightly sprinting towards each other, a family smiling obliviously in one corner, a lady with a lovely red scarf hurrying to the train with her baggage in tow.

He thought those scenes were heart-warming and all that, but right now he needed a place to sit. The giant digital clock overhead showed 09:21 in glowing red light. He was a little early, he realized, he had more than an hour of waiting left. The thought made him scowl — the anticipation was actually _killing_ him.

But as soon as he was perched comfortably on a nearby bench, he was consumed by his own thoughts again.

.

.

To be exact, today was only the Christmas _Eve. _The actual Christmas Day was still a few hours away. But to him, these two days bleed together; he looked forward to these two days every year. To him, the eve of Christmas was just as important as the day itself.

It had already been snowing since he left the temple shortly after they ate their breakfast. His dad, Hosho, had taken care of the dishes and asked him to walk to the station to fetch their guests instead. It was their Christmas-eve-morning-routine that they've stuck to for five years. Now was the sixth year of carrying out that tradition. The only difference was that today they had finished their breakfast early, and Kanata opted to start the next task immediately after instead of idling around the house.

So now Kanata was at the train station, waiting for his father's friends to arrive; Aunt Miki and Uncle Yu were coming from Tokyo via the next train. Every year, they would visit the Saionji Temple during Christmas Eve and would stay overnight. They did this every year since the couple decided to stay permanently in Japan and whisked away Miyu with them to their new residence.

Sadly, only Aunt Miki and Uncle Yu came every year. Miyu was supposed to come too — she was _more_ than welcome even to overstay — but since the first year of their tradition, she had yet to show herself. Aunt Miki told him during the first time that Miyu had already made plans with her boyfriend for Christmas that was why she could not come. And every year since then, Miyu would be absent for the same reason, which left Kanata to wonder, "Was it the same boyfriend all these years?"

Maybe he was jealous.

Of course, any guy that managed to catch Miyu's attention was subject to his envy. Miyu was a fine young girl and any guy would be lucky to have her. And if this particular guy — that _bastard_! — was her boyfriend of six years (he maintained it was the same guy; Miyu wasn't the type to jump from a relationship to another carelessly, he rationalized) then it was six times the envy he would usually feel.

Also, it hurt him gravely that Miyu managed to find love as quickly as she did, when he, on the other hand, still could not get over her many years after.

But he wouldn't know, _would he_, how she actually felt about him. Neither of them confessed before she moved away, after all. Sometimes, he doubted his decision to keep mum of his feelings was the right one. True, she was going away, and he didn't want to burden her with his feelings.

_But. _

_It. _

_Hurt_.

If he'd only been selfish for once, she would probably even be looking forward to her trips to Heiomachi, and she'd be making Christmas plans with him not with some other guy.

Now however, the only communication he had with Miyu was through the Christmas cards — and his additional birthday card — she never failed to send for him and his father. And every year, she also gave them gifts. Aunt Miki would hand those over to them after the Christmas Eve dinner, and exchanged them for Hosho's and Kanata's presents for Miyu. If he was reading those letters correctly, he could safely conclude that Miyu was still the same girl he parted with, and for that he was thankful.

He was looking forward to her letter this year too. He would have also hoped for her arrival this year had he not been constantly disappointed every year before then. Now, he had already learned not to expect. Five years of her absence —how could this year be any different?

.

.

Kanata let out another sigh (he'd been sighing a lot more today, he only just noticed) and proceeded to straighten up. The train from Tokyo finally arrived. He craned his neck to look for his guests. It took him little effort to find them. With a slight smile, he promptly walked towards them.

They were carefully alighting the train. Uncle Yuu was guiding his wife off the platform, his hands on her elbow. Aunt Miki's cheeks were puffing slightly. Like she was pouting. By now, Kanata's smile had grown. He also missed the couple in their absence; they always made the temple more interesting. His father was also more alive during their visits. Kanata could never be more grateful to them.

_"Hey, long time no see, Kanata."_

The voice came out of nowhere, and it was oddly familiar. Kanata spun around. And there she was, already beside him, smiling, blinding like the sun.

It was_ Miyu._

.

* * *

**AN:** Hi. Thanks for reading. It's my first time to write a Daa! Daa! Daa! fanfic. And my first time to write a multi-chapter fic, too. Do tell me what you think. Please, and thank you. :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary: **Kanata had already learned not to expect. Five years of Miyu's absence — how could this year be any different? _"Hey, long time no see, Kanata." — _Actually, it was wildly different.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Daa! Daa! Daa! I have no property to my name, that's why I'm doing my best to finish my thesis (so I can graduate and find work already). During my breaks, I write this; this is what keeps me sane for the meantime.

.

**Waning Moon**

.

They were walking side by side. He was keeping to her pace — short, measured steps upon layers of snow. An expansive blanket of white covered the world around them, interrupted here and there by the color of the peeling paint of the houses and small shops that lined the streets. Above them, the sky was overcast – a dome of dirty white — and the snow continued to silently fall.

It was early afternoon, and Kanata and Miyu had just eaten their lunch moments ago. The meal was an interesting affair inside the Saionji household. The table was alive with incessant chatter. Miyu was pleased to see her parents enjoying themselves. And Kanata's dad could not contain his delight at seeing Miyu again.

Miyu could only wonder how much more animated they would be during their dinner later. She suppressed a chuckle.

With that, the silence between them was preserved. Kanata and Miyu had been walking for a few minutes now, but they had yet to exchange words. From Kanata's standpoint, the quiet was companionable; he wasn't very talkative to begin with.

And it seemed to him that Miyu didn't mind too. She appeared to have changed in this respect. She wasn't especially chatty now. But that wasn't a terrible change, Kanata thought — he could live with that.

Or _maybe_, just maybe, Miyu was actually be squirming inside her head, thinking of a way to break the silence, but couldn't find a subject they could talk about — that seemed plausible enough. She'd always been the type who had something to say. So why stay quiet now?

Kanata was itching to look at the expression on her face. Just to confirm, he told himself, if she was really suffering from this outwardly heavy, impenetrable silence between them.

With all the subtlety he could muster, Kanata tried to sneak a peek at her face.

_._

_._

_Busted_.

When Kanata tried to look, Miyu had already been staring at him expectantly. She knew something like this would happen.

"Got ya." Miyu was openly laughing beside him.

Kanata, on the other hand, was puzzled. He tried to say something in the effect of his bewilderment, but no words came out.

"I thought you might want to see why I'm suddenly quiet. Ha! I _so _was right." She patted herself on the back, her face looking smug.

"Uh-huh." By now he had already managed to look composed, and spoke as if he were merely tolerant of a playful child. He went back to looking at the distance, hoping to hide his face in case it had actually turned scarlet.

"You should have seen how you looked!" Another laugh. "Like our proverbial deer caught in headlights. Just to let you know, Kanata, I can still talk your ear off."

He turned to look at her again, and was just about to retort something clever but the words were suddenly stuck on his throat. Kanata saw that Miyu wasn't looking at him anymore; something up ahead had caught her attention. Her side profile, Kanata mused, looked absolutely lovely. Breath-taking even.

"The town's really changed." Miyu was admiring the family restaurant a few meters away. It was a sizable building, newly constructed, that had taken up the corner of a block. Their destination—they were supposed to meet their friends in this place.

The restaurant looked vibrant, the atmosphere inside festive. Customers were coming and going, waiters and waitresses were everywhere at once, and the little chime at the door was constantly jingling with the door opening and closing every so often. It was as if the place was inviting Kanata to step inside its warmth.

But something in Miyu's tone ticked Kanata off. Her words were colored with the awe of a child when given new toys to play with. It irked Kanata that she was so welcoming of the change. He had imagined that she would be fearful that her territory was being transformed into something completely unrecognizable. The places in this town where their cherished memories had occurred were now all gone—how could she not worry about that?

One part of him believed Miyu had never even considered this town to be her home and therefore couldn't care less about what happened to it. By extension, that Miyu never found home in the Saionji Temple, in Kanata. But a majority of him recognized the foolishness of his thoughts. Still, he could not help but be frustrated.

.

But Miyu was _Miyu_, bubbly and optimistic. With an almost imperceptible shake of his head, he considered, this might even be a good sign. It was always healthy to consider the greater side of things.

Miyu was already half-running to the café's door. "Old man Kanata, hurry up!" She was waving her hands at him, but he continued to ignore her taunts. As much as Miyu was loud and cheerful, Kanata was mature _and_ cool. He wouldn't be caught dead running around eagerly like a child regardless of his own contained excitement.

"Hey! Show the old man some respect."

.

.

The tinkling of the bell on the café door brought everyone's attention upon the arriving couple. A second later, most patrons had already eased back into their own affairs. But a couple of people from the group huddled on the corner table rose. One had vibrant, pink hair; the other had two bouncing braids.

Kanata could feel Miyu longing to just dash to their table and hug those two. And so, without warning, he grabbed the cuff of her trench coat. She scrambled around to face him, faintly flushed and a little breathless—baffled and a little annoyed at his sudden intrusion. If Kanata had been easy to blush, his face would be colored in an interesting shade by now. Their faces were so close—and for a split second, he was stumped.

But he caught himself immediately, and although his voice came out a little parched, he managed to say, "_Snow_." He let go of her cuff. "On your hair," To emphasize, Kanata pointed to his own head.

And as if waking up from a dream, she slowly reached for her head and dusted the bits of white snow that clung to her hair.

"Uh, right. Thanks." Her eyes were hidden behind her thick bangs so he couldn't discern what she was thinking. He wanted to reach out and help her — really just to touch her — when she stumbled a little from a sudden impact. Aya, who had crossed the room to reach her, was on Miyu's back, her arms around the blonde neck.

"Miyuuuuuuu, _so_ slow~"

And there it was—the sight of women hugging with beaming faces. Kanata half-expected them to launch into a lengthy conversation right then. But both women merely glanced up at the group waiting with barely contained anticipation in their table and laughed, as if sharing a secret.

Before long, they were all huddled comfortably together in their booth with the rest of their middle school gang, except Aya and Santa who were at the counter, placing their orders. The table was filled with chatter: friendly greetings, short-lived chuckles, and snatches of gossip.

"This feels nostalgic, doesn't it?"Santa commented, sliding back into his seat.

"Yeah, it's been a while since we got together like this." Nozomu – sitting squashed between Aya and Christine – nodded solemnly.

"Miyu! You've been absent for six years!"

"But it's not like the rest of us see each other often too."

"And we're even the same college, Aya-chan."

The first item on their agenda was to reminisce. The second was to lament the fact that they rarely get together. They all had reachable mobile phone numbers and email addresses but sadly, their differing schedules and their unfortunately heavy workload kept them busy. Furthermore, they now lived scattered all over the globe.

Staying nearest Heiomachi were Aya and Nanami. They were attending the same university in a nearby town. But even though they're in the same college, they hardly saw each other. Moreover, this term, Aya was occupied with her internship with a publishing company.

Nozumu and Christine got themselves were on the founding board of their friend's start-up company after they lent a hand in its establishment. Unsurprisingly, Nozumu found his hobby – performing magic acts for the audience – even more satisfying than his job. At any rate, neither of them really needed to work so hard to bring food to their tables.

Santa, on the other hand, was now a full-pledged salary man in Tokyo – he would sometimes bump into Miyu in the city's streets – and was dating the celebrity endorser of their company's products.

"And Kanata here…Kanata, you _sly_ dog! All your ex-girlfriends were babes! How could you just let them all go?" Mock resentment graced Nozumu's features. He was wagging a finger at Kanata as if admonishing a wayward child. "American babes –!"

Christine gently elbowed Nozumu to shut him up. The others laughed.

Unintentionally, Nozumu had accurately summarized Kanata's love life with his friendly jab. While Kanata was studying a business course in a university abroad on scholarship, he started dating maybe some of his classmates (one at a time, of course). It was sad, but no one actually stuck close to his heart.

However, it appeared that he already developed a certain type.

"Hey, Miyu, Miyu! Did you know? Kanata here only dated blondes and green-eyed girls. Then it's only a matter of time…" Nanami revealed suggestively, her eyebrows twitching in amusement.

The only blonde, green-eyed girl in their midst turned dangerously red, scandalized. "You guys!"

Scattered laughter rifled through their table. Satisfied of successfully making Miyu blush, the gang moved on to another topic.

And although the subject wasn't taken up again, the implication weighed heavily on their minds.

.

.

It was already early in the evening when they finally parted. Everyone wanted to spend dinnertime with their own families, especially since they were now living apart from them on regular days.

Moreover, Miyu was particularly adamant to return to the temple to help prepare their meal later—it came as a surprise to everyone, especially to Kanata, that Miyu would be cooking.

At half-past six, Kanata and Miyu were walking again, side by side, like they had earlier, this time with a friendly banter flowing between them.

.

/

**AN**:

To be honest, I treat this fic as an AU, where there was no alien baby and babysitter that came to earth and fell into Kanata's and Miyu's care. Had this been set in either anime- or manga-verse, personally, I don't think Miyu – or even Kanata – would be capable of looking for separate partners. Raising a baby together, even temporarily, isn't an experience that anyone could simply forget. Those memories would sit prominently in their minds. They'd always look back on those times and inevitably think of each other.

If Kanata or Miyu manage to find other partners still, they would always measure them with the other person as standard. And whatever their unfortunate partners would do, they would always have their doubt. After all, who could tell what those people would be like as parents?

Unless they themselves struck up a relationship with each other and parted on a sour note, they would be each other's greatest _what ifs_.

.

Also, I hope you could review even if it's to tell me I'm horrible. I'll do my best to write better! :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary: **Kanata had already learned not to expect. Five years of Miyu's absence — how could this year be any different? _"Hey, long time no see, Kanata." — _Actually, it was wildly different.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Daa! Daa! Daa! Nor any anime/manga for that matter. Nor anything in the world, that's why I now have a job (though I have yet to complete my thesis) so I could buy something I'd own. Oh yeah, and I'm currently at work.

**Waning Moon**

**.  
**

Sometimes he would wonder: would his life be any different had he confessed to her on that fateful day?

If only he'd asked her to, would she have stayed? For him?

Or would she turn him down without even batting an eyelash?

/

Kanata was part of the convoy that saw Miyu off from the Heiomachi train station six years ago. Their little group of friends huddled together in one corner of the station, forming a very lopsided circle with Miyu in the middle. Momoka was there too, clinging to the hem of Christine's dress. Her eyes were swimming with unshed tears. Kanata was curious how Momoka had gotten so close to Miyu for the little one to be this affected.

Miyu, unfortunately, couldn't see Momoka from where she was. Aya and Nanami had her engulfed in a fierce hug. Neither was as upset as Momoka, but it was obvious they were both making conscious effort to not show their own heartfelt sadness. The guys—Nozomu, Santa, and Kanata—were standing a little ways to the side, pretending to be uncomfortable of girls' over-sentimentality. But even they were mentally fretting over their impending separation from Miyu.

Truthfully, the idea had not yet fully sunk in, but they all knew there won't be plenty more of hanging out like this after she leaves. After all, it was Miyu's and Kanata's close relationship that brought the boys and girls of their group closer together. Miyu and Kanata were always around each other, one way or another, while everyone simply tagged along. Of course, their friendship grew over the short time they'd all been together—but from now on, every time they'd meet, they'd always notice the void left by their absentee member, Miyu.

Kanata, for one, was definitely going to miss her. There was no point in denying it; it was going to be painful for the first few months.

/

Miyu was in a roller coaster ride of emotions. In one moment, she was overjoyed by her parents' surprising return to the country and by their sudden announcement that they would be staying for good, and in the next she was flustered at the thought of leaving Heiomachi to live with her parents. Then she was scared at the thought of settling down in a city where she knew no one outside her own family. And nervous, and somewhat excited at the prospect of a new adventure. And then guilty for actually feeling excited.

Her parents didn't offer her any options—they didn't have to. Miyu knew they would agree if she asked to stay in Heiomachi. But she also knew of the disappointment they would inevitably feel if she voiced out her thoughts. They were doing this for her, and she appreciated their efforts very much, but she had to endure tough times for her to be completely alright again. Still, for her, it had been a very easy choice.

Although for appearance's sake, she wanted to throw a tantrum much like the one she did when her parents decided to send her to Heiomachi in the first place. But she was older now, and if she were honest, she would like to spend time with her beloved mom and dad again (even though they usually just jerk her life around at their whims).

So far, it was a very easy choice, only because she wasn't offered any choice at all.

So God forbid someone opens another option for her. She didn't anyone to ask her to stay, because then, her decision would be anything but easy to stick to. And she silently prayed it wouldn't be Kanata who'd ask. _Not Kanata_, anyone but Kanata.

If he offered to let her continue bunking with him, Miyu wasn't sure she'd be ale to choose her parents' wishes over his.

Because Kanata had been her guardian, her trustworthy confidante, her ally, and her bestfriend all these time she was alone —without her parents— in Heiomachi. Truth be told, his presence in her life was as almost big as her parents', and his opinions weighed as much as theirs.

If he asked her _the_ question - "will you stay?", she wouldn't be able to stay away.

/

Kanata somewhat knew he had a say in the matter. More than anyone, he could make his choices work. If there was anyone who could stop Miyu from leaving, it was him. He believed, she would stay for him. If he asked.

He knew, in his heart that was the case. Their feelings were mutual to say the least—he loved her—as family, as friend, as his almost-lover, and because she too loved him in return, she would not go if he asked her not to.

But it was all gut-feel.

Until now, neither had the courage to break the their happy, more-than-friends-but-less-than-official-lovers status quo. Before this time, neither were even inclined to tell the other outright how they felt. No, they weren't scared of being rejected, they were confident that their feelings were wholly reciprocated. There was no need for words, when their actions already spoke volumes. No one had thought it was necessary; what they had was already comforting, so why rush?

Now they were confronted with a reason to rush. But now it was too late.

Because Kanata was stubborn, he would never be selfish and deprive Miyu of the chance to be with her parents again. And Miyu was equally stubborn; she would never be selfish and deprive her parents of the chance to be with her, their only daughter, again. Besides, Miyu had always been a good girl— despite how loud she could get.

/

So when it was their turn to hug (they were the last to hug before she boarded the train), they were both wrapped in their own thoughts: Kanata with his self-conviction that he wouldn't regret his decision to stay silent, and Miyu with her confidence that she wouldn't lament not exploring her other options. They didn't realize that they'd hug closer than how Miyu hugged their other friends. Space was nonexistent between their bodies. His lips were so close to her ear, she wouldn't miss a word of his plea, if only he'd spoken. Her hands were tangled in his locks, so she could have prevented him from ever letting her go, had she not let him go first.

The moment was so short, they could not have hugged three heartbeats more than Miyu's goodbye hug with Santa. Yet it felt long too, for within those three distinct heartbeats, their own hearts were pounding loudly in their chests, they could each feel the rhythm of the other's heart. They were synchronized.

They parted taking refuge in the fact that their hearts had beat as one.

Smiles ghosted over their lips as Miyu waved to them goodbye.

/

**AN:** Feedbacks, violent reactions are welcome. I think it can't be helped with this kind of story, and with my sub-par storytelling so I don't mind. Patience is a virtue though, so I hope you'd continue reading the next chapters to see where Miyu's and Kanata's relationship go. Afterall, what's an adventure without a few bumps? (Although calling something as languid as this as an adventure is pushing it, is it not?)

Love,

_royal_


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary:**Kanata had already learned not to expect. Five years of Miyu's absence — how could this year be any different? _"Hey, long time no see, Kanata." —_Actually, it was wildly different.

**Disclaimer:**I don't own Daa! Daa! Daa! Nor any anime/manga. Even so, I'm satisfied making fanfictions.

**Waning Moon**

.

Miyu came out of the bath feeling clean, and utterly refreshed. In this cold winter night, the warm water lapping at her skin felt heavenly. _Life is good_, she thought, letting out a contented sigh. _I'm full, I'm clean, and now is a great time for a drink. _

She went to find Kanata in the family room to tell him that the bath's now unoccupied, and was pleasantly surprised to find Mikan and Mizuki settling in.

"Mikan! Mizuki! It's been a long time!" Promptly crossing the room, Miyu beamed widely at their guests. She envelops Mikan in a warm, somewhat awkward, hug. The older girl had been occupied with her coat buttons when Miyu attempted to squeeze the daylights out of her. Beside them Mizuki chuckled, enjoying the sight of her sister's startled expression and the genuine happiness in the blonde's face.

"Miyu!," exclaimed Mikan when she finally realized what was happening. The shining mass of blonde hair before her face could belong to no other.

Miyu let go, a little breathless, with a wide grin plastered on her face. Then she spun around to stick her tongue out at Mizuki whose only response was to laugh openly at her.

"Missed us, huh?" Mizuki teased her when he had finally calmed down.

"Not you," huffed the blonde, "only Mikan." She turned to the older sister and said, "It's been years."

Finally shrugging her coat off, she nodded at Miyu. "Yeah, that's why I came when I heard you were visiting," she smiled affectionately, and then pats her brother's shoulder. "Mizuki here is my designated driver."

Done with the pleasantries, Miyu suddenly remembered what she was originally here for. Looking around, she asked the two if they'd seen Kanata around.

And Kanata's voice floated from the doorway leading to the kitchen. "I'm here," he announced, managing to look cool, leaning cozily against the door's frame even when he as he balanced a tray on his left hand. He moved blithely towards the table, depositing the snacks he had gathered for their guests. "I didn't want to interrupt that awkward reunion scene so I waited," he poked fun at Miyu's clumsy hug even as he worked.

Deciding to ride along with his teasing, Miyu countered playfully sarcastic, "Why thank you very much. You're such a gentleman."

"You squeezed the life out of her."

"Wrong. She was just _so_ happy to see me, she could die." And as an afterthought, Miyu added, "The bath's open by the way."

Kanata's curt response was "obviously, since you're here." He then told the Yamamuras (who continued to watch the exchange in unmasked amusement) to feel at home and retreated to the kitchen.

Not wanting to lose, and hoping to get the final word, Miyu called on his back, "Stupid Kanata!"

/

It wasn't long when Kanata was also out of bath, feeling refreshed and generally satisfied with his life. _Except for one thing_, he mused. _Miyu._

While watching Miyu welcome their sibling guests into their home, he couldn't help but notice the apparent closeness between the younger Yamamura and Miyu. Truth be told, his mind immediately jumped to the worst possible conclusion he could think of, no matter how absurd that was: _Were they dating? Miyu and Mizuki? Miyu never really revealed the name of her boyfriend in her letters. On a scale of one to "yes", what are the odds that Mizuki and Miyu are in fact dating?_

Oh, but how he Kanata hated his mind right now!

He usually wasn't one to assume—assumptions are not backed by facts, so what's the point? If anything, Kanata was logical; he would carefully assess situations and react in a calm manner. But when Miyu was involved, somehow, common sense flies out of the window. His heart would take over, and just how rational have emotions ever been?

Right now, he was fighting to suppress his _foolish_ jealousy.

But hopefully, a glass of milk would quiet down his thoughts.

/

Miyu downed her sixth shot. Liquid fire burned a trail down her throat, and Miyu was pleased. Looking at their group, she noticed Mikan starting to nod off, her face pink both from the cold and the alcohol. Even Kanata had crimson tints across his face although he still looked stubbornly sober. She moved onto Mizuki: he wasn't even drinking his sake. _The cheat._ (_True, it really wasn't safe to drive intoxicated, but whatever_—chided Miyu's inebriated mind.)

The barely sober Kanata recalled his warm bath a couple of hours ago, and found that he missed it painfully. He made the mistake of wandering into the kitchen to get a glass of milk and had Miyu catch him. Smiling gleefully, she announced that she had found a stash of sake in the kitchen cupboards and wanted to drink to his birthday, to Christmas (almost, in an hour), and to the beautiful moon that "looked too sad all alone". She eagerly pulled at his arm and dragged him outside in the cold.

The entire time, the four of them were catching up. Kanata learned that like Mizuki had also gone to Tokyo for college, and stayed there to worked afterwards. His suspicions about Mikan's brother and Miyu's relationship was growing stronger, especially after Miyu mentioned how obstinate Mizuki was about keeping his place clean and orderly that there isn't a single speck of dust anywhere. Kanata took note of the way she'd speak fondly of him, the way the other man had clamped his hands over her mouth unceremoniously to prevent her from spilling more of his strange quirks. Beside them, Mikan, the most smashed in the group, sloppily nodded at Miyu's assessment of her brother, sometimes muttering a few unintelligible words, which Kanata took as expression of assent.

In all honesty, the scene was a little painful for Kanata to watch, but he was a good actor. This was supposedly a heartwarming reunion and he planned to keep it that way. And so far, his responses had been appropriate, which kept Miyu delighted. He sided with Mizuki, coming to the defense of his fellow male. In mocking jest, he told Miyu that everyone's house is naturally clean and organized—that is, except hers, whose flat, he wagered, looks ravaged by a tornado. (As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he realized he couldn't know that, for all he knows, Miyu and Mizuki might actually be sharing an apartment. Then, he mentally slapped himself. Of course, trust his mind to imagine of the worst.)

Kanata hastily knocked back another shot.

How he wanted to ask. _Are you guys dating? _But things weren't as simple as that. His male pride won't allow him. He didn't want to be meddlesome. Miyu could date anyone she wants, and if it's Mizuki—all the better. At least it's someone he knows, and can trust.

While Kanata was biting his the inside of his mouth, to keep him from blabbering the question that had been on the tip of his tongue, Mikan, suddenly sounding a lot more clear-headed, spoke up, "Mizuki, are you and Miyu dating?"

The couple in question promptly looked at Mikan. Kanata watched Miyu's eyes go wide, and noticed her cheeks heat up. She opened her mouth, and closed them again. He could see her warm breath materialize fleetingly like a smoke before her. She was trying to sputter a response but Mizuki beat her to it.

"What makes you say that, sis?" His face showed innocent interest, although there was an underlying mirth on his voice.

"You two seem awfully close, right Kanata?"

To be frank, Kanata did not appreciate Mikan passing the question, and attention to him. Heck, he didn't want to know at all. Oh alright, he actually did want to know. _But_. He didn't care to ask. What if they said yes? Then he couldn't _un_learn that painful knowledge. At least now, he could still pretend—at ease Miyu and Mizuki were with each other, they might not have been in a relationship at all.

But it's too late to turn back now. And his response was already needed, so he grudgingly went along with it. "Yeah," he said quietly, looking down at his drink. That's funny, even with his resolve, a single word was all he could muster.

However, Mikan seemed satisfied for she prattled on—

Only to be cut short by Mizuki. "No, sis, we're not dating." His eyes caught Kanata's, and Kanata could swear those gaze were meaningful.

Meanwhile, Miyu recovered enough to continue, "Yeah, and Mizuki has a real pretty girlfriend too!"

"And your boyfriend—"

"Ex."

"Oh, is that so?"

Something told Kanata that this conversation was being played for his benefit. Mizuki's intense look, the rapid-fire exchange, the less than apologetic response—Mizuki Yamamura was telling him something, and Kanata now understood the reason Miyu's here, not anywhere else, after six years of absence.

* * *

**AN:** Imma cut this short, since the chapter has gone on for longer than I expected. Next time, we'll see Miyu and Kanata spending more quality time, which means, more conversations. I'm a fan of conversations, I could read books where there are only two people talking. (Which is why I love J.D. Salinger's Franny and Zooey. The exchanges between the Glass siblings were thought-provoking and enlightening.) I'm sorry if you find it boring, but that means I probably need to improve to make even the most mundane of conversations a lot more interesting. Either way, I must improve! And with your reviews I will.

Ah, and I miss drinking with my college buddies. I think it's time to organize another overnight swimming excursion, especially since it's now officially summer(! Yey!), in my country. And let there be booze(! Yey!) (Nope, I'm not a drunk. I only drink when I'm with my most trusted buddies—my class in college—and we get together at least once a year.)

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. And I'd really appreciate it if you review, even flames, just be reasonable—I'll take them all. :)


	5. Chapter 5

Summary:Kanata had already learned not to expect. Five years of Miyu's absence — how could this year be any different? _"Hey, long time no see, Kanata." —_Actually, it was wildly different.

Disclaimer:I don't own Daa! Daa! Daa! Nor any anime/manga. Which is why I'm making fanfictions and fanarts (the cover picture) that look nothing like the characters.

**Waning Moon  
**_(Subject to change)_

.

At noon of Christmas Day, Miyu woke up feeling minutes from her death. Her head throbbed. There was a single point in its dead center that strongly and incessantly pulsed. She could feel tremors radiate from it which rattled the rest of her brain. Miyu groaned at the pain, but that only intensified the throbbing. To escape further misery, she willed herself to go back to sleep.

After a few minutes of thrashing and tossing on her futon, it became clear that sleep will not come to her again. _How had she managed to fall asleep before then? Clear her mind, and wait? But damn, her mind could only think about the pain and would only whine about it. Stupid, stupid brain! _So_, s_he had resorted to alternately contemplating how convenient it must be to die right now, and how she'll never touch alcohol in her life ever again, when a soft knock jolted her out of her depressing reverie.

It was Kanata, bearing her lunch and a glass of pineapple juice on a tray. Miyu's eyes followed his movements across her room. After gently setting down her lunch beside her futon, Kanata peered at her and smiled. "Hangover?"

She nodded feebly.

"Then, you must eat. You'll feel better."

Just as Miyu started to slide herself up, Kanata placed a supporting hand down her back and looped his other arm under hers to help her in a sitting position. With their faces close to each other, he clearly caught her muted thanks.

He thought of hanging around for a while in case any problems arise, but Miyu started squirming under his watchful eyes. Kanata had unconsciously stared; with one last sympathetic smile at her direction, he left her to eat in peace.

* * *

In the dining room, while eating lunch with his dad, Aunt Miki, and Uncle Yuu, Kanata was thinking about his conversation last night with Mizuki.

_Mizuki had closed the door on the passenger side of his car after his sister, and turned towards Kanata. Seeking Kanata's undivided attention, the older man clamped a hand on the brunette's shoulder. "I can't thank you enough, Kanata. For helping me get Mikan down the temple steps." And he chuckled, but his expression sobered up a moment after. "Amongst other things." _

"_Is this about Miyu again?" For some reason, it irritated Kanata that Mizuki had to thank him in Miyu's behalf (_couldn't Miyu do that for herself?—he would like that better_) or that he even had to ask favors for Miyu (_what is he, her guardian?). _And thanks to the alcohol, he didn't have problems showing it._

"_It is." Mizuki could already feel Kanata's growing antagonism towards him, but decided to plunge on. It gave him grim pleasure spiting Kanata who really had no reason to be wary. "She might not look like it, but Miyu's heart-broken right now. Surely, you must have realized?"_

"_Of course," Kanata replied through gritted teeth. "But what makes you think I should be the one taking care of her?"_

_As if he didn't know the answer, Mizuki cocked his head to the side, pretending to come up with a suitable reply on the spot. _It's so easy to pull Kanata's leg when it comes to Miyu—_he thought wickedly. _"_Hm… Nothing special," he started, "just that she's here now, and you're here._ _And you care for her, don't you? I'm sure she still cares for you too."_

_Well, Kanata didn't need Mizuki to tell him that. In fact, he'd already planned to take Miyu back the moment he saw her again. Knowing she's currently single—who knew it'd be so easy. (Intoxicated Kanata's being a jerk.) It was his chance to do what he didn't have the courage to pursue all those years—confess her lingering feelings for Miyu._

* * *

The night had fully settled before Miyu woke up again. The time in the wall clock read 8:18. She had to squint to make out anything in the darkness of her room, and saw that the dishes she left after lunch had been cleared out.

Experimentally, she sat up and was glad to find that the room did spin anymore. The pounding headache was gone too. She almost whooped in joy, but then she heard a sudden thudding sound inside her room. Her celebrating became a strangled cry of surprise instead.

Except she wasn't the only one to yell.

Kanata did too. He'd fallen asleep slumped against the wall of her room. His body had slid down on the floor, and he was suddenly jerked awake.

Seconds later, Miyu was already clutching at her sides, breathless from laughing. She was exhilarated at her recovery, and Kanata's rare candid dumbfounded face was just too precious. But it didn't take long for Kanata to school the owlish wonder on his face into a cool, dispassionate glance at Miyu's direction. "I suppose you're feeling better now?"

"Yeah, yeah," she snickered some more. And stopped, took a deep breath. "Alright, I'll won't laugh anymore. You've been less of a bully today, so I'll stop now." She tried to keep a straight face. "So… what were you doing in my room?"

Kanata lied smoothly, but it was obvious she'd see through that. "Reading. The lighting in this room is good. You just happened to occupy it at the moment."

"Yeah, yeah," Miyu didn't take the bait for another round of banter. Not that she didn't want to; she enjoyed their friendly teasing honestly. But right now she was so hungry now she could eat a cow. "Is it dinner yet?"

"Since you're already feeling so much better as to laugh at the almighty Kanata, why don't you join us in the dining room? It's almost time now." Kanata offered her a hand to pull her up. "Sorry it's a bit late; we saw your parents off to the train station before we started preparing for dinner."

"Oh yeah, I forgot we were supposed to leave today. But I guess staying here's good too."

* * *

There was a soft rap against his door, and Kanata could immediately guess who it was.

Miyu just came out of bath and was going to tell Kanata that it's now available for his use (Uncle Hosho's already asleep), but she was met with a peculiar sight instead.

"Uh… hey, what's up?" she greeted, hesitant.

Kanata was crouching on the floor, his head under the bed. His butt stuck out in her direction.

Miyu ventured on, still shy, "Uh… are you trying to hide your porn? Under the bed, of all places."

"Actually, no. I'm getting stuff from under my bed. Ah, there it is!" Kanata remarked sounding triumphant. He stood up, and pretended to dust his knees.

"Found the adult video you want to watch?" Miyu entered Kanata's room and walked over to him, curious to see what he was holding in his hand. It was a small rectangular box with a lid covering the contents.

"You can say that." Her face turned scandalized; Kanata couldn't help but laugh. _Why is she acting so innocent about these things? But it was endearing, nonetheless. _ "Kidding! I was searching for your letters actually."

Curiosity replaced the shocked look on her face. "Now why would you do that?"

"I want to know."

"What?" They were now standing in front of each other, and it suddenly struck Miyu how much Kanata towered over her.

"Why you are here. In Heiomachi. When you haven't been here for the last five years. Why now?"

"And you think my letters have the answer?"

It was surprising how easily the teasing turned to a something serious, and Miyu grew rather wary of where this was heading.

"No, not really. But right now I don't know you. Not _really_. Sure, you are Miyu—cheerful, beautiful, my best friend from a long time ago. But you've gone through some things I didn't know, and even though you are the same as Miyu as before, you are also more than my Miyu. So I want to know who you are right now, before I ask you why you're here. And I intend to ask you one more time."

"Isn't easier to just ask me? I'll tell you." As though regretting what she said, she continued: "But I'm afraid you'll hate me. Would you still like to know?"

_I can't hate you!_—he almost retorted, but he caught himself just in time. After everything he said about how she'd changed almost as much as he did, he couldn't just claim his feelings won't change when he heard her story. Even so, he wanted to let her know his desire to help. "Miyu, I loved you. There was a time when I tried to hate you. When you moved on without me—I thought it was unfair of you. But I couldn't really hate you. Hell, I can't even move on from you. I love you, Miyu.

So please, let me help you."

At some point in his short speech, an uncomfortable lump had settled on Miyu's throat. So when she said her next words, they came out half-choked. "You really mean that?"

Kanata paused, and blinked sheepishly. Truthfully, he did mean it. But why is Miyu so persistent that he'd hate her if he knew. Where was all this insecurity coming from?

"Damn, Kanata. I hate myself already." But she laughed, at which he felt relieved that she didn't take his silence the wrong way.

"Just tell me already," he tried not to sound desperate, just when she'd already decided to open up.

"I broke up with my boyfriend."

"I think… that was obvious from last night."

"Are you sure you want to know?" There was a quiet intensity in her eyes that Kanata caught.

But he did not falter; this time, he managed to answer quickly and confidently. "Yeah. But better tell me his name first."

"What? You don't know?" Miyu sounded genuinely surprised.

* * *

**AN:** What the heck is this? This fic has a life of its own and is starting to move by itself. Tbh, I intended this fic to be a story of how Miyu and Kanata both moved on from each other, which is why it's titled _Waning_ _Moon_, except I have abandoned that now for a new ending. I should also scrap the title.

Next chapter: Miyu's and ex-boyfriends' backstory. Oh, and he's OC btw (actually, inspired by a character from another anime which aired around the same time as Daa! Daa! Daa! Does this count as a crossover then? Nah.). And more Kanata pursuing Miyu.

Thoughts? (This chapter felt like a Naruto filler episode where nothing happens huh? That's right.) And thank you for the reviews so far. They keep this fic alive.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary**: Kanata had already learned not to expect. Five years of Miyu's absence — how could this year be any different? _"Hey, long time no see, Kanata." —_Actually, it was wildly different.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Daa! Daa! Daa! Nor any anime/manga for that matter. If there's an anime you want to own, what would it be? Mine would be Naruto. Think of all the money Kishi-sensei is making.* loljk.

.

**falling's not the problem, when i'm falling in peace  
**_(Title just changed)_

_._

_._

"Dear Ba-Ka-nata ;p,

.

Happy, happy birthday! And I wish you a Merry Christmas, though I know you don't actually celebrate Christmas, unless… you got a girlfriend while I'm not around?! : I totally can't imagine you going on dates and stuff, lol.

How have you been, my friend? I hope you're doing grand. (My English is getting better, right? Someone told me to try to write this letter in English. My high school's curriculum is intense—I wonder how I even managed to get in— so I need practice every chance I get! In Math too, but you wouldn't want these papers full of formulas, right? Though you're really good at Math. Hey Kanata~, swap brains with me.)

So… I've been studying a lot— I've never studied so much in my life! Sometimes, I want to get away from it all, flip my desk during class, set my books to fire, throw them down the window, you get the idea. And all my friends are such nerds too! Even when we hangout, they talk all academic suddenly. Though other people watching might not guess they're talking about science and math all the time (lol, I exaggerate ;p), since they all look so fashionable and amazing, and not so nerdy at all.

It's been eight months, hasn't it? I've made lots of friends... People here are nice, not so different from our friends there in Heiomachi! (But I miss Heiomachi too. I'm sorry I can't be there now. I want to see everybody!) My best friend here used to be a yankee. But she's a good girl now (and she's surprisingly smart). She told me it was love that changed her. And of all people, she fell in love with a police officer. Hair blonde hair, with cute pink highlights, is the only thing left from her rebel days. I wonder if highlights would also suit me. What do you think, Kanata?

My two other closest friends are both guys. One's the class rep our who showed me around on my first day in school. He and his best friend became my first friends, since I was constantly in their care. He's so much like you (but with darker hair and darker eyes, and he acted cool all the time). At first, I was really surprised at how famous he is around here. He'd walk the streets and people would _actually_ ask him to if he wanted to model. (I think, if you're here, the talent scouts would've been all over you too!) o_o He's always told me that he wanted to be a DJ, but I think he's tried modeling a couple of times before. His best friend, my other friend, showed me the magazines they've appeared on. His best friend's just as famous. (Now that I think about it, I don't suit hanging out with them! Bye-bye~ my self-confidence. ) But before I knew it, the four of us—me, my best friend, class rep, and his best friend—are eating lunch on the rooftop every day.

Are you still in the student council this year too? I've joined the volleyball and astronomy club, which I sometimes regret. Maybe I should've gotten a part-time job instead of the volleyball club. My friend works in a music store and he asked me to join him. I had to turn him down, sadly. I don't think I can juggle school, two clubs, and work. If it were you, I think you'd manage without breaking a sweat."

.

Kanata paused from the letter he was reading out loud, and looked at Miyu. "See? You never mentioned his name. Nor your friends'. Though I know from the next letters that the girl's name is Ran."

There were still a couple of hours left to Christmas. Miyu and Kanata were in his room, going through the first and oldest in the box containing all of Miyu's letters. Kanata was idly sitting on his bed, his back propped against the wall. On the edge of the bed was Miyu, mutely picking out patterns on the ceiling while listening closely to Kanata's reading.

When she didn't reply, he returned to the letter in his hands, this time reading wordlessly. The room was silent except for his occasional mutterings: "Hmm... Blah blah blah… I saw my singer-crush walking along the street! Blah blah… Mom took in a cat that sometimes barks like a dog (creepy!) so we named it Wanya. Dad bought it a cute bow-tie shaped collar… blah…

blah… blah… mmm…

Love from,

Miyu."

When he finished, Kanata sighed, but the ghost of a smile was playing on his lips. It was utterly ridiculous, not to mention childish, but reading those last parts — _Love from, Miyu _— made him feel a little giddy. These letters were his treasures, his only connection to her for the past years, but at the same time they remained his constant source of heartbreak and envy. This time however, those petty troubles of his did not matter, because Miyu was here, in the flesh, sitting beside him, and it made him the happiest he'd been in years.

Focusing on the situation at hand, he began to muse out loud. "I think if this were in Japanese, you would've been forced to write your boyfriend's name somehow." Actually, Miyu also never mentioned the existence of a boyfriend-person in her letter. It was an unsolicited piece of information he got from her mother when she apologized for Miyu's absence that year: "Sorry, Miyu couldn't be here right now, she's spending Christmas with her boyfriend."

"Ex-boyfriend, Kanata," she corrected. Unfortunately, her mood had turned sour while he was reading loudly to himself. "Also, he wasn't even my boyfriend yet at that time. My mother was only making assumptions, though she turned out right eventually. You know, back then, I thought, _he_ was too much like you. And why should I settle for someone who only looks like you, acts like you, but _isn't_ you?"

She paused. Her emotions were threatening to spill over. She took a deep breath, and prepared to steel herself for the rest of her story. "Actually, it was Ran he liked first, but Ran was taken away while he was dragging his feet around, pretending to act all cool and stuff." She let out a shaky laugh. "Then one day, he told me liked me, I don't know how he came up with that. All that time we hang out, I thought we were only doing it as friends. But as soon as he realized he liked me, he was pretty much relentless in pursuing me. I think he didn't want what happened with Ran to happen with me too. And with that, his hard-work, his cunning – he came up with all sorts of excuse just to be together, even really stupid ones—he won me over eventually, after more than a year."

Miyu's voice had turned monotonous through the course of her narrative. Emotions had also left her eyes, Kanata saw, and she was back at some supposedly happy memory that now made her miserable.

Wanting to alleviate a little of her bitterness, Kanata waved the sheets of paper before her face. If only he could fan her dark thoughts away. "Was that your model _ex_-boyfriend who told you to do this in English?"

"Yup, that's him." Miyu snatched the mail from him and likewise briefly skimmed through her own writing. "And in the other letters, I never mentioned his name?"

Their correspondence for the next years were stacked neatly on the bed beside Kanata's outstretched leg. Even without checking, he knew for sure her boyfriend's name never appeared on those papers. After all, he re-read each of them countless of times these last six years and he'd been particularly on the lookout for mentions of this class rep-cum-model-cum-DJ-wannabe friend of hers that often appeared in her letters.

"After I replied to your letter in my spectacular English," Kanata said teasingly gloating, "it became our sort of tradition, right? And you conveniently use 'he', 'she', 'they' or 'my friends' for everyone. Geez Miyu. Six years, and I'd have thought you'd learn about proper nouns."

She chuckled at her own slip-up and promptly collapsed on his bed. "Sorry Ba-Ka-nata. I never realized, sorry!" It was becoming increasingly funny how she'd managed to do that when _he_ made up big proportions of her mails.

Kanata too let his legs slide from the bed to the floor so he's lying on his back. They were side by side, and were both smiling faintly at the ceiling.

He spoke again, recalling what happened a year after she first wrote him. "So in the end, you quit volleyball club to take that part-time job, huh?"

It took a long time for Miyu to reply, and when she did, her tone was again wistful. "Yeah, I didn't renew my membership for volleyball in my second year. And a year after that, we both quit the music store to attend cram school together." They aimed for the same university, though for different programs, and they both passed.

Later on, _he_ asked her to move in with _him_ to which she happily complied. But that wasn't in any letter for it only happened this year.

And early-on in their cohabitation, they both realized their hearts weren't ready for forever with _each other_.

.

* * *

.

The sad turn of their conversation was interrupted by a late night phone call to Kanata's mobile.

While he was on the phone, chatting animatedly with whoever is on the other line—Miyu suspected it was a guy, judging by the vulgar words he occasionally boldly used (clearly it wasn't someone he was keen to impress romantically) —Miyu left. _The rest of her story could wait_, she thought. _And there was something more pressing she had to do today_.

In the meantime, she went back to her own room to retrieve a small package from her suitcase. It was a parcel almost the same size as Kanata's letter box. The thought of his letter box made her chuckle—_Kanata's such a girl; this will be perfect for him._

After adding her finishing touches to the package, she returned at once to his room, and found it still brightly lit. Foregoing knocking altogether, she walked confidently inside. She saw Kanata already lying supine on his bed. An arm was slung across his face which covered his eyes. To her, he looked peacefully asleep.

But there was something she had to do today, no matter what. She'd already wasted the rest of the day recovering from her terrible hangover, so now she was left with little time to accomplish this very important deed. She resolved to wake him up; softly, she called out to him. "Kanata."

"Kanata, wake up."

Unknown to Miyu, Kanata was still wide awake, and was only resting his eyes when she came in. He thought it was obvious he wasn't sleeping yet—in fact, he expected Miyu to start chatting him up—but Miyu seemed not to notice. And when she uttered her name, to him, it sounded so lovely, he forgot to respond. In the end, he decided to continue feigning sleep, in the hopes of getting her to say his name one more time.

And just he relaxed his body to look more convincingly asleep, he felt his bed dip as she sat down on its edge. "Kanata," he heard her say, "you're forgetting something. Wake up."

Even when he didn't move or respond, Miyu continued to talk to him, "I have something to give you, Kanata. Wake up."

"Kanata, Kanata, hey, Kanata."

"Kanata, wake up! It's not even midnight yet!"

Becoming slowly agitated, she took hold of his arm, the one on his side, and shook it. "Ba. Ka. Na. Ta. I have to do this today. Wake up, please?" _Damn, Kanata! He sleeps like a log!_

Inwardly, Kanata was doing his best to hold his laughter. He knew it was extremely for him to be pushing Miyu's buttons. In fact, he was already starting to fear for his life, and he tried his best to harden his stomach muscles in case she punches him there—but a flustered-sounding, begging Miyu is just so entertaining! He wanted to see just how far she'd go. (He thinks he must be a masochist and a sadist at the same time.)

"Kanata?"

"Kanata."

"Saionji Kanata."

"Fuck you, Kanata."

With that, Kanata felt Miyu rise from the bed. Straining his ears, he heard her put something down gently on his bedside table.

Kanata started panicking. He couldn't see Miyu. He didn't know where she went if she's still in the room. Hell, getting punched was better than this…

And that was then that he felt it—a warm, tickling sensation on his ear. He itched to move swat away the sudden foreign feeling, but he caught himself when he heard Miyu speak. Her voice was a soft, beautiful whisper, carried by her warm breath on his ear.

It scared him to move and open his eyes only to find out that this was actually a dream he'd woken up from. Breathing slow, calming breaths, he waited for minutes to pass before getting up.

The light was blinding his unadjusted eyes. Miyu had already left.

When his eyes had grown accustomed to the light again, he could only stare at the door she quietly closed after she stepped out. Minutes had already passed, but her presence in his room could still be strongly felt. For one, the gift box she brought him sat conspicuously on his bedside table. It was the flaming orange in color with dark, little silhouettes of pumpkins printed on it. It looked better suited for Halloween than a birthday or Christmas. But the thought that she remembered how pumpkins are his favorite made him feel all warm inside. He couldn't wait to open the box and see what more pumpkin-related things she got him.

Second, and the more powerful manifestation—his ear felt tingly, as tingly and giddy as he felt inside, from when she whispered, "Happy birthday, Ba-Kanata," in his ear.

.

* * *

**AN:** * from the disclaimer above—I also wouldn't mind owning One Piece, but I haven't gotten around to reading it. :( Maybe someday I'd experience the genius of Oda-sensei's manga.

And the title has officially changed! _**falling's not the problem, when i'm falling in peace**_ is a line from a song by Florence + the Machine.

So which anime/manga did Miyu's _ex_-boyfriend and friends come from? : I kept a little of their backstory intact, though the girl bestfriend is actually three people merged into one. Can you guess?

Thanks to everyone who reviewed, favorite-d, followed so far. I love you so fvckn much! Humor me a bit and review this one too. And tell me honestly all the stuff you hate about this fic. And the stuff you like too. And stuff.

See you next chapter?


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